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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22760515">Since Then</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasvegas_lights/pseuds/lasvegas_lights'>lasvegas_lights</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hawaii Five-0 (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>An alternate history of events, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, takes place around season 6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:20:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,549</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22760515</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasvegas_lights/pseuds/lasvegas_lights</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The events at the end of season one happen a little bit different and Danny ends up leaving Hawaii to once again follow Grace and his unborn son back to New Jersey. Five years later, Steve and Danny are forced back into each other's lives. Will they make the same mistake as last time?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>293</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Danny's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This plotbunny just wouldn't leave my head so I had to write it! It's completely written so I can assure readers that this fic will be fully published. <br/>Thanks to intricatecakes on Tumblr for fixing my punctuation, readying through it all, helping when I got stuck and cheering me on throughout writing this!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>Danny grumbled under his breath as he passed the never-ending row of parked cars, unable to find a space large enough to pull in close to the crime scene. His partner, a too young, shiny badged detective with his nose pressed firmly into his phone screen at every opportunity hadn’t noticed his grumblings or the fact that Danny was parking the car a block away from the police tape and squad cars. <br/><br/></span><span>The pair climbed out of the car and into the bitingly cold air. Danny rubbed his hands together then cupped them around his mouth to blow warm air against his stiff fingers. He would never admit it to anyone but on days as cold as this, he actually missed the warmth of Hawaii. <br/><br/></span><span>He set a fast pace along the sidewalk to keep warm, whilst his partner Drew chased after him, his focus still on the phone in his hand. Danny had been tempted on more than one occasion to throw the damn phone into the Hudson.<br/><br/></span><span>Walking fast, they reached the house in a couple of minutes. Outside, uniformed officers stood just inside the strip of yellow tape, huddled together for warmth like penguins as they stood guard over the scene. The door to the house was open and Danny could see a figure in the shadowed entrance dusting down a door jamb for prints. <br/><br/></span><span>When he ducked under the tape, he realised Drew hadn’t followed and turned to find the younger man a few steps away, tapping away on his phone screen. Once again he was dismayed by his young partner's obliviousness. <br/><br/></span><span>“Yo!” <br/><br/></span><span>Drew’s head snapped up, his wide eyes blinked in Danny’s direction. How he ever passed the detective’s exam Danny would never know. The captain had assured Danny that he’d been partnered up with the dumbass so the newbie could learn from the best. Danny was sure it was punishment for something.<br/><br/></span><span>“We’re at a 10-55, can you please show a little respect?” Danny growled, his disdain for his partner was clear for all to see. <br/><br/></span><span>Drew opened his mouth to respond but quickly changed his mind and slammed it shut. The phone went into a back pocket which Danny would have been pleased to see except he knew the damn thing would be out again as soon as he looked away. <br/><br/></span><span>With a sigh that was visible in the cool morning air, Danny trudged up the short path, climbed the steps and passed the threshold. As a homicide detective, missing people wasn’t really his usual gig. Thanks to a combination of two detectives on sick leave and a third suddenly transferring out of state, he was acting as a pinch-hitter until things were back to normal. <br/><br/></span><span>The house was small but homely, a combination of rental furniture which had seen better days and newer soft furnishings which brightened the place up. The sight of toys scattered on the floor and a playpen set up near the window made him swear. He hated when kids were involved in cases like this, it just wasn’t fair on them. <br/><br/></span><span>Glancing around the room, he quickly identified whoever was in charge of the scene and crossed over to get briefed on the situation. <br/><br/></span><span>“What do we know?”<br/><br/></span><span>The sergeant looked up from his notes and sighed. “We’re looking for a woman in her early thirties, went missing sometime between 5 pm yesterday and 6 this morning, neighbours called it in when they heard the kid crying and wouldn’t stop. They came round to investigate and found the front door wide open and the tyke all alone.”<br/><br/></span><span>“The door show any signs of being forced open?”<br/><br/></span><span>The sergeant shook his head. “Not that we can find.”<br/><br/></span><span>“Maybe she just had enough and left.” Drew shrugged. <br/><br/></span><span>Danny glared at his partner for the insensitive comment “Except her phone and purse are on the table,” he gestured to them. “You probably wouldn’t take off without them.” <br/><br/></span><span>“Right,” Drew nodded. “Missed that.”<br/><br/></span><span>Danny rolled his eyes and turned back to the sergeant, “How old’s the kid?”<br/><br/></span><span>“She’s just a toddler, two, maybe three?”<br/><br/></span><span>Dany couldn’t believe that a mother would just walk out the door and abandon her child, there had to be more to it than that. It was just a shame her daughter was too young to provide any useful information. <br/><br/></span><span>“Where is she now?”<br/><br/></span><span>“At the hospital being checked out, social services have already been called.”<br/><br/></span><span>“Good,” Danny nodded. “Any other family?”<br/><br/></span><span>“Single mom, no information on the father...a quick background check found a brother out of state, he’s been notified, he’s getting the first flight out.”<br/><br/></span><span>“He have any idea where his sister might be?”<br/><br/></span><span>“None. Mentioned a chequered past but that she’d gotten herself together when she became a mom.” <br/><br/></span><span>With another nod, the sergeant slipped past Danny and out of the house. Through the open door, Danny could hear the man begin to order the officers to spread out and start knocking on doors on the street. Hopefully one of the other neighbours had seen something. He was always impressed with how nosy a neighbour could be. <br/><br/></span><span>Looking around the room once more, looking for anything that could clue them in to what had happened, his eyes fell upon a photo propped up against a pile of books on a shelf above the TV. The photo was worn with a crease down the middle and one of the corners curled inwards but there was something so familiar about the subject of the photo. Shifting closer to the shelf, he carefully picked the photo up to get a better look at it. <br/><br/></span><span>The old photo was of two young children, a boy and a girl, though it wasn’t the kids that had caught his attention, it was the yard they were playing in was all too familiar. With his heart thudding in his chest he slowly navigated his way back through the house, the photo still held between his index finger and thumb. He ignored the calls from Drew and stepped back out into the cool air. Outside on the steps, he tore his eyes away from the image and looked up. <br/><br/></span><span>“Sarge?”<br/><br/></span><span>The sergeant looked around, “Yeah?”<br/><br/></span>“The woman...I never asked you her name.” Danny’s mouth was suddenly dry. </p>
<p>
  <span>The sergeant looked back down at his notes for a moment and then back up at Danny, “Mary… Mary McGarrett.”</span><br/><br/>
  <span>Danny’s stomach dropped. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fuck. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Danny POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Once again, huge thanks to Intricatecakes! You're awesome</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>With a deep steadying breath, Danny lifted his clenched fist and rapped on the door. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Come!” A voice shouted from the other side and Danny pushed the door open in response. Once inside the room, he kicked the door shut behind him and stepped further inside. The small office was dark, even on bright days, thanks to just a small window at one end of the room. There wasn’t much that could be said about the office. Paperwork piled high on every available surface, a single chair which always wobbled when you sat in it and carpet almost as old as he was. Whilst there wasn’t a good thing that could be said about the room, his captain called it home. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Behind the old desk behind held together by duct tape and chewing gum was his captain, a well-respected man who was tough and often grumpy but always fair. Captain Leighton was one of New Jersey’s longest-serving captains and Danny knew he probably only had another year left in him before the higher-ups forced him into retirement. His wife had sadly passed a few years ago and Danny knew Leighton would be lost without his badge.<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Leighton’s eyes flicked up from the report in his hands. “You know the victim?”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Yeah...I did,” Danny admitted. “Not well..only met her a few times, nearly five years ago now.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Leighton arched a bushy eyebrow “That going to get in the way of the investigation?”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“No Captain.” Danny shook his head. “I want this case, I can do this.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Well okay then.” The captain nodded, waved his hand in assent and returned his attention back to the file on his desk. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Danny didn’t move. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Leighton frowned when he realised Danny hadn’t left. “Something else on your mind Williams?”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Danny sighed and dropped down into the chair. It creaked loudly and Danny anchored his feet solidly on the floor to stop the seat from lurching sideways. “Her brother...I knew her brother,” he admitted to Leighton. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Okay?” Leighton replied, drawing out the word. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“I was his partner, back in Hawaii.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Ah,” Leighton sat back in his chair and threaded his fingers together before lowering them onto his lap. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“You should know that he’s already on his way here to New Jersey to find his sister.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Is that really such a good idea?”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Well no,” Danny agreed with a huff, “Except he’s going to do it anyway.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Not if I have anything to say about it.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“You can certainly try...but I know him well enough to know he’s not going to sit by and wait for answers and the neanderthal doesn’t exactly take no for an answer.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“You think I can’t say no to him?” Leighton let out a laugh at the idea.<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“It’s not that you wouldn’t,” Danny assured him, knowing the captain well enough to know Leighton would absolutely say no. “I’m saying he’s got friends in high places. He only has to make <em>one</em> phone call and the next thing you know you’re getting a call from the Chief of Police.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Leighton frowned. “So what are you suggesting?”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“You let him work with me,” When Leighton opened his mouth to argue, Danny pressed on. “I know it’s not ideal but would you rather he work with us or go off on his own and leave a pile of damage in his wake? The man loves a grenade just a little too much.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“He really that bad?”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Danny sighed and slowly shook his head “No, he’s not that bad...but right now his only family is God knows where and there’s absolutely nothing on this earth that could stop him until he finds her,” Whilst Leighton mulled over his words, Danny rose up from the chair. “I’ll never admit this to him, but he’s a damn good investigator...if anyone can find her, it’s him.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Okay,” Leighton relented. “But he’s your responsibility, try to keep him in line?” <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Danny smirked, “Just like old times then.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span><br/>
Danny spent the next few hours going through witness statements and evidence as and when it was processed. Every ten minutes or so he couldn’t help but glance at the flight tracker app he’d downloaded onto his phone so he could see the progress of the flight from Hawaii. The closer it got, the worse the tight ball of worry in his stomach became. Unfinished business in the shape of a six-foot Navy SEAL would soon be on his doorstep and there was an unavoidable conversation he would be having. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Sometimes, it felt like it was only yesterday that he followed Rachel, Grace and their unborn child back to the mainland, other times it felt like so long he couldn’t quite remember everyone’s face. Whilst it had been five years since he had left, the short eighteen months he had spent in Hawaii had felt like a lifetime. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Frustration grew as the hours passed. There was nothing he could find in Mary’s cell records or bank statements, her colleagues at the tour company she’d been working for were shocked by the news she was missing and couldn’t provide any useful information. A part of him had really wanted to find Mary before the plane landed at Newark International. Instead, he would have to admit that he was no closer to finding Mary. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Gulping down lukewarm coffee, he stared at the witness statements in front of him until his vision began to blur. His cell vibrated against the wooden desk, nearly knocking itself off the edge in the process. Unlocking the screen he smiled gently at the message from Grace, informing him she was looking forward to seeing him at the weekend. He considered letting her know what was going on but quickly decided against it. He didn’t exactly know what was going on yet. He would tell her when there was something to tell. Tapping out a reply, reciprocating her excitement, he pressed send just as another message came through from a friend at the hospital. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>You asked me to let you know when he was here.<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>And?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Danny typed back. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s here. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  </em>
  <span>Danny needed more coffee...and maybe something stronger. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span><br/>
Danny took the elevator up to the fifth floor where he knew the paediatrics floor was. Thankfully neither Grace nor Charlie had spent much time on the fifth floor themselves but he’d had a few cases which had warranted a visit. The department was secure with keycard entry but with a quick flash of his badge the door was buzzed open for him. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Another flash of his badge got him directions to the right room and he made his way down the hallway to the room Mary’s daughter was being kept in. He used the length of the hallway to steel himself. Straightening his back, holding his head up high, he took one last deep breath and entered the room. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>He wasn’t spotted at first but Danny’s eyes immediately went to the familiar figure at the window. The young toddler was curled up in his arms as he rocked her from side to side gently. Danny was taken aback by how comfortable he looked with a baby, a vast improvement from those first few months back in Hawaii. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>He didn’t realise he’d been holding his breath until he started to feel lightheaded. Opening his mouth, the air released from his lungs. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>The figure at the window spun around at the noise. For a long moment, they stared at each other silently, both unable to move or speak for what felt like ten minutes but couldn’t have been more than ten seconds. It was Danny who finally broke the silence. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Steve.” The name left his lips with the weight of five years hanging in the air. Five years of picking up his phone to call and chickening out. Five years of catching news reports that mention something happening in Hawaii and praying to God he was safe. Five years of too many regrets. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Steve blinked at him. “Detective,” he replied politely.<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Danny couldn’t help but wince. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“It’s good to see you,” Danny admitted. Steve looked practically the same since they’d last seen each other. Strong arms, sharp jaw, that military posture that made him the centre of attention in every room he walked into. Steve didn’t return the compliment, his focus returned to the sleepy child in his arms. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“I didn’t know Mary was in New Jersey...or that she had a kid.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Joanie...her name’s Joanie,” Steve explained, stroking a hand softly over Joanie’s silky hair. It was weird how right it felt to see Steve holding his niece. He wondered briefly if Steve had found someone back home in the five years since he’d left. Had he and Catherine settled down? Had Steve started his own family? There didn’t seem to be a ring on Steve’s finger so maybe not. There was a lot they needed to catch up on once they’d found Mary. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Who’s the father?”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Steve gave him a half shrug. “Mary adopted her a year and a half ago.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Huh.” Danny’s eyebrows shot up. “Bet that was a surprise.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Steve smiled softly, the sudden warmth in his eyes almost bowling Danny over. He’d forgotten how powerful that look was. Forgotten what the look did to him. “She uh, she left Joanie on my doorstep with a note, she thought it would be funny to make me think some ex of mine had left her with me.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“That sounds like something Mary would do.” Danny smiled back at Steve. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Steve’s smile faded quickly. “You have any news?”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Sorry.” Danny shook his head. “No useful forensic evidence at Mary’s place, nobody saw anything, no unusual behaviour in the days leading up to her going missing, it’s like she just disappeared off the face of the earth.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“People don’t just disappear, Danny, my sister did not just vanish into thin air.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Danny sighed. “I know that.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>Steve glanced down at Joanie, now fast asleep. Carefully he lowered her back down into her bed and pulled the blanket up over her. “I’m not going to sit here whilst you find her y’know.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Like I expected any different,” he snorted. “My captain’s already given the go-ahead for you to join the investigation.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“They have?” Steve sounded surprised. <br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“Once he knew it was either that or watch you blow up half the state, it was an easy decision to make.”<br/>
<br/>
</span>
  <span>“What’s the catch?”</span><br/>
<br/>
<span>“Captain’s letting you tag along, but this is my case…” Danny couldn’t help the grin that split his face as he continued. It was always funny when things came full circle. “You’ve got no choice Commander, I’m making you my partner, we’re going to get along great.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Danny POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>With rush hour slowing down their journey back to the station, it gave Danny plenty of time to think and ample opportunity to spy on the man sitting quietly beside him. Steve was stiff in his seat, his hands on his lap and his gaze focused on the window ahead.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>The silence between them was unnerving. Danny couldn’t remember a single car journey with Steve that hadn’t involved some kind of argument or debate. </span>
  <span>The Steve sitting behind him felt almost like a stranger to him. There hadn’t been any battle over who drove and the SEAL showed no signs of frustration over the speed he was driving at. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny hated it. Determination bubbled up inside him to restore the relationship that both of them had lost, though he knew that it was never going to happen if Mary wasn’t found. Finding her was their priority. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So, when was the last time you spoke to Mary?” Danny asked, his attention still on the road ahead. He risked a quick glance at Steve who met his eyes for a split second before looking away. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve cleared his throat before speaking, his voice still polite and restrained, “A few days ago, she was planning a trip back to Oahu for a few days, wanted to stay at the house.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“She say anything out of the ordinary?"<br/></span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Steve shook his head. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“She sound worried at all? Scared?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“No, nothing like that.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny gritted his teeth and steeled himself. “I have to ask-”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“No,” Steve answered, knowing exactly what Danny was asking. Danny felt a flicker of something familiar between them, like after all the time that had passed just maybe they were still on the same wavelength. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Steve,” Danny pressed on, “the Mary I knew got herself into trouble like it was an Olympic sport, you understand why I’m asking, don’t you?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Of course I do, Danny, but I’m telling you, whatever happened to her wasn’t her fault, she wouldn’t just abandon her daughter without a good reason.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“How do you know?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Because I’ve seen first hand the change in Mary since Joanie came along okay? </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> haven’t.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny ignored the dig aimed at him. “You sure?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“She loves Joanie, she wouldn’t do anything to hurt her,” Steve insisted. "She's a good Mom...a whole lot better than-" Steve stopped himself mid-sentence and Danny knew there was a story there he didn't yet know. He made a mental note to ask Steve about it in the future. "She didn't abandon her daughter"  <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Okay,” Danny said softly, biting his tongue to stop himself from saying anything more on the subject. Steve was right. Danny hadn’t seen Mary in years. He was basing his judgement on a younger Mary before she had any responsibilities. It just reminded him or just how much he had missed out on since moving back to New Jersey. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d spoken to Chin or Kono and the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So, uh, are Chin and Kono holding down the fort?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“And Lou,” Steve answered with a sharp nod.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Lou?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Lou Grover, Ex SWAT Captain, joined us a year ago.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Huh, you drive him up the wall with your dangerous stunts too or was that saved especially for me?” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve let out a huff of frustration. “I’m not going to let you do this, y’know.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Do what?” Danny asked innocently. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“This is not a reunion. You left. You stayed gone. End of story. I’m here to find my sister and when I do we’ll be going back to Hawaii and you’ll be here and things will just go back to the way things were.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Doesn’t have to,” Danny tried. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You said it yourself remember? Your life is back here now.”<br/><br/></span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span><br/>“Been busy?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Danny dropped onto his couch, feeling the weight of a long week on his shoulders. His eyes stung and there was a jitteriness in his limbs from too much coffee.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You could say that”, he replied into the phone. “Sorry I haven’t called in a while, you know what it can be like.”<br/><br/>"</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, I know,” Steve replied. “Maybe you could take a few days off, have a long weekend, the guys miss you y’know.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Just Chin and Kono?” Danny asked hopefully. Even thousands of miles away there was a spark between that whilst couldn’t be denied, had certainly stayed unspoken. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“No, not just Chin and Kono,” Steve agreed. “Max and Kamekone, too.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Danny chuckled. “Sure.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>"So how about it?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Danny groaned. “You know I would if I could.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>"Right.” <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Even over the phone, Danny could tell that Steve wasn’t pleased with his answer. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“You make it sound so easy, babe, just hop on a plane, it’s just for a few days.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s so wrong with that?”<br/></span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I have responsibilities here, Steve, I have Grace and Charlie and cases I can’t just drop for a long weekend...you could always come here,” he suggested even though he knew the answer. This wasn’t the first time since Danny had left six months ago that they’d had the same conversation. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Would if I could,” Steve replied softly. Danny understood. What with the task force, Wo Fat and his father’s murder, Steve wasn’t leaving Hawaii any time soon.<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>For a moment neither said anything and Danny listened to the sound of Steve’s steady breathing. When his eyes slid shut, moisture filled the corners “Maybe it’s time we stop pretending, Steve.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Pretending?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“That nothing’s changed,” Danny answered. “My life is back here now.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s it then?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“How long do you really think we were going to be able to keep this up, huh? Calls that get longer and longer since the last, then it’s answerphone messages left and the odd email at Christmas. Won’t be long before we’re strangers again.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Danny-”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“We’re five thousand miles apart, living in different timezones ...Steve, we had a good run.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>There was a long silence down the line before Steve finally replied, “...Okay.” <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Danny had been unprepared for the agreement. He’d been expecting Steve to fight for them and something inside him tightened painfully at his friend’s easy surrender. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>"Hey, if you’re ever in New Jersey-”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>For the first time, Danny realised he might never see Steve again. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span><br/>There was something about stepping back into the police station that settled Danny. The last half an hour with Steve had left him off-kilter. He didn’t know where he stood with Steve and a heady mix of new and old feelings wasn’t helping matters. Once through the doors and up the set of stairs to the detective’s bullpen, the familiarity of the open space calmed him. For a moment he even forgot Steve was just a step behind him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Navigating through the maze of desks using mostly muscle memory, Danny came to a stop beside his and dropped his keys, phone and gun into the surface. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“This yours?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah,” Danny nodded. He watched Steve’s eyes move from the stack of files piled high on one end of the desk, across the computer which looked like it belonged in a museum and finally to the frame beside his phone. Inside the frame was his favourite picture of his children. Both Grace and Charlie were giving toothy smiles at the camera and Grace had her arm slung over her younger brother. A brief moment of civility between siblings.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Charlie’s gotten so big,” Steve remarked. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Turns five soon.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“He looks just like you.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah, I think so,” Danny said proudly. “I-” Danny cut himself off when he spotted Drew had spotted the pair and was heading over to them. “Okay, I’m sorry for what’s about to happen.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve raised a quizzical eyebrow at him which Danny waved off. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yo,” Drew greeted them. Danny hated it when he said ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yo</span>
  </em>
  <span>’. “What’s happening?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Drew, this is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, my old partner, Steve this is Drew Park, my new partner.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Lieutenant what?” Drew blinked. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve’s eyebrow raised again. “He’s your partner?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Not a word, please,” Danny replied under his breath. “Steve’s here to help us find his sister,” he explained to Drew. “I’ll be working with him on this, you might want to speak to the captain about being assigned another case.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Huh, whatever, man,” Drew had barely turned around before his phone was out of his pocket. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve watched the young detective walk away with a look of incredulity across his face, “Wow.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“What did I </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> say?” Danny snapped. Steve rolled his eyes and mimed zipping his mouth shut. After counting to ten in his head, Danny waved his hand at a nearby empty desk. “Carmen’s off this week, you can use her desk.” Danny dropped down into his own chair as Steve did the same beside him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So what do you have exactly?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Mary was last seen at 5 pm yesterday, her next-door neighbour was leaving the house just as she was arriving back with Joanie,” Danny explained as he passed the file over to Steve. “This morning the same neighbour heard Joanie crying, didn’t think much of it at first but when Joanie wouldn’t stop crying her and her husband went over to investigate, found the front door wide open and Mary nowhere to be found.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Forensics?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Only fingerprints they found were Mary’s and the neighbours. No signs of forced entry.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Neighbours check out?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Clean as a whistle.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Nearby traffic cameras pick anything up?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny shook his head. “It’s a residential area, no cameras close enough to the house.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So when you said you had nothing,” Steve sighed, dropped the file onto the desk. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“No unusual activity on her card, no problems at work, there’s nothing to explain her disappearance,” he confirmed.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“But who would want to take her?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny sat up in his chair. “And now they have her, what do they want with her?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“It’s already been over twelve hours,” Steve said quietly. “She could be anywhere by now...she could be-”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hey,” Danny cut him off before he could voice the worst-case scenario. He placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder, unable to stop himself from offering comfort. “You can’t think like that.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve looked down at the hand and quickly shrugged it off. Danny pulled back just as quickly. He knew he still had a long way to go before Steve was able to accept any kind of support from him. It wouldn’t stop him from trying though. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>A second later Steve’s expression changed. It was an expression Danny recognised. Steve had made his mind up about something and Danny probably wasn’t going to like it. “Let’s go back to her place,” Steve said, rising to his feet. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Why? We already searched the place, there was nothing there.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Maybe you missed something.”</span><br/><br/>
  <span>Danny watched as Steve strode away without looking back, leaving him no choice but to follow. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Steve's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was strange for Steve. He didn’t think he’d ever find himself working with Danny again, let alone sitting in the passenger seat of a car with Danny behind the wheel. It had happened so rarely when they were partners and now it felt like he had been transported to some kind of parallel universe. There was something so familiar about it all but so different at the same time. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Their reunion had been awkward, no thanks to him. He’d been completely unprepared to see Danny and had found old feelings rise to the surface. Feelings he’d pushed down and ignored since Danny had left. If anyone had asked, he would have said he was completely over how things between them had ended. It would have been a lie. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Truthfully, Steve was still hurt. Danny’s return to New Jersey had been a kick to the gut. Even after such a short amount of time, the connection between them had been undeniable. A part of him still hadn’t forgiven him for leaving so soon after Steve had been cleared of killing the Governor. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>He understood that Danny needed to be with his family, but giving up on their friendship the minute the long-distance aspect of it had gotten too hard was like being hit whilst he was down. Chin and Kono had done their best to push him forwards and continue on with the job at hand, Lou too when he arrived on the scene, but there had always felt like there was something missing in Hawaii and being back beside Danny just confirmed what that was. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So-” he found himself saying. Danny raised an eyebrow at him. “You and Rachel, how’s that going?” A number of emotions crossed Danny’s face, most of them Steve could still read. “I’m guessing it’s not.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Just before Charlie was born, she, uh, she tried to tell me he wasn’t mine, that she’d gotten the dates wrong and actually Charlie was Stan’s.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve winced. He could only imagine how that must have made Danny feel. “You push for a DNA test?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Did I push for a-” Danny repeated. “Of course I did, are you kidding?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“She say why she did it?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“After the results came back and he was definitely mine she admitted she hadn’t wanted her son growing up with a father whose job was so dangerous.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve frowned. “Except she knew that about your job when she married you.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I didn’t say it was a good reason.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So you and her, been over for some time, then.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Couldn’t exactly love the woman who tried to keep my son from me,” Danny admitted softly. “We’re cordial at least, no screaming matches or talking through lawyers.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“That’s something,” Steve agreed. He felt Danny’s eyes on him. “What?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“What about you and Catherine?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“There never was a me and Catherine,” Steve insisted. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Sure there wasn’t,” Danny said sarcastically. “Where is she now?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve sighed. “Somewhere in Afghanistan...I think.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“What the hell is she doing there?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Long story,” Steve replied, hoping that would be enough to stop Danny from asking any more questions. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“There anyone else?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hmm?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You seeing anyone else?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve looked up and their eyes met in the rearview mirror. There was something about Danny’s question which was loaded. Loaded with what Steve didn’t know. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“No, there’s nobody else.” he finally answered and was relieved when Danny didn’t press any further. Looking out the window, he watched the New Jersey streets pass by slowly. Too slowly in his opinion. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Doesn’t this car go any faster?” He voiced his frustration.  <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny shook his head, “I knew you wouldn’t be able to help yourself.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You do remember my sister’s missing right? Does this thing even have lights and sirens?” Steve started fiddling around with the buttons on the dashboard, only to have his hand swatted away. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Will you stop?” Danny barked. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“All I’m saying is a sense of urgency wouldn’t go amiss.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I get it, Steve. I promise.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve sighed. “I remember it like it was yesterday y’know.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Remember what?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“When those Yakuza came and stole the toolbox and I got zapped with the taser.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>They’d only been partners for a few months when Mary was taken because she knew too much about the contents of the box that had also been stolen. The pit of dread in his stomach back then was the same one he had now. He could picture so clearly the moment when he had pulled her out the trunk of the car and just held on for dear life. He would give up a lot to be able to hug her again.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I remember you did everything you could to find Mary and you got her home safe.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Danny-<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“There are two things I know for sure Steve, even after all this time.” Danny looked over like he needed to check Steve was paying attention. “I know that Mary is strong, she’s a fighter and as long as she’s alive she’ll be fighting.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“And what’s the second?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“That you don’t give up, and that’s why you’ll find her.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve almost laughed. He had given up, on Danny at least. He should have tried harder. He was so mad at Danny for leaving and madder still for giving up on </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but it was Steve who had let that happen. He swallowed hard. ”Thanks,” he croaked out.  <br/><br/></span>
  <span>As they pulled up to Mary’s house, his cell began to ring. With one hand, he pulled the phone from his pocket as he climbed out of the car. The number up on the screen was a blocked number and he risked a quick glance at Danny over the roof before he pressed the answer button. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hello?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hello, Commander,” the unfamiliar voice greeted. Danny was looking at him with a quizzical expression and he waved Danny off, gesturing for him to continue on without him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>When he was out of earshot, Steve replied, “Who are you?” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“The man currently in possession of something I’m sure you would like back in one piece.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Quickly, he pulled the phone away from his ear and tapped out a quick message to Chin. <br/><br/></span>
  <em>
    <span>Trace my call. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <span>“How do I know you have her?” He asked. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You don’t trust me?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I have trust issues.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>A moment later there was a message in his inbox. There was no text, just a single photo of Mary, tied to a chair, the date visible on the paper propped up on her lap. She looked terrified and his sister wasn’t easily scared. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So what now?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Now, you get me what I want and I let her go.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“And what exactly do you want from me?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Jacob Moretti...he’s about to stand trial in your tropical paradise.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>The name sounded familiar to Steve, a case from a year or so ago maybe, “Who is he to you?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Never you mind that,” the man hissed. “You have four hours to get him released and on a plane to the mainland.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I don’t have that kind of power.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ll find a way, Commander...with the right motivation. For every hour past the deadline Jacob Moretti is still behind bars, I’m going to remove one of your sister’s digits.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve couldn’t help the growl that left his throat, “I’m going to find you and kill you.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Won’t that be fun,” The man chuckled, “I’ll ring again in two hours Commander and you better have some good news for me.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>There was a click and the line went dead. Steve swore. Without taking a breath, he found Chin’s number and dialled. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Chin asked as soon as he picked up. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Did you get anything?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Sorry, Steve, though I was able to track the call to a sixty-mile radius around New Jersey, it’s not enough to go on.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>At least they knew Mary was most likely still in the area. “Whoever it was, they have Mary.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“She okay?” He heard Kono ask and he knew he had been put on speakerphone. The image of the cousins and the ex-SWAT Captain standing around the computer table reassured him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“For the moment...they want me to get Jacob Moretti out of prison.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Who’s Jacob Moretti?” Lou asked. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I remember him, we picked him up eighteen months ago for drug trafficking, it was during that shootout in that warehouse downtown,” Chin supplied. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>The memory of that day came back to Steve. The team had gone up against a team of drug dealers with semi-automatic weapons. It was only luck and good training which had allowed them to take control of the situation. Three of the drug dealers died at the scene and another four were caught alive, including Jacob Moretti. Steve had left the warehouse with a sizable gash along his thigh from a stray bullet. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Says here he’s standing trial next Thursday,” Chin explained. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So why does Mary’s kidnapper care so much about Moretti?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Want us to dig into his life? See what connections he has in New Jersey?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Send me everything you have as soon as you can...he’s given us four hours.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Jeez,” Lou exclaimed. “You’re not thinking of asking the Governor to interfere are you?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Even if I asked he wouldn’t,” Steve sighed. “My only chance of getting Mary back alive is finding the scumbag who has her before the four hours are up.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“We’ll do everything we can to make sure that happens,” Lou insisted. “You hear me?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah, Lou, I hear you.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hey, Steve?” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah, Chin?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You seen Danny yet?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve’s flicked up. Danny was looking back at him like he knew they were talking about him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“And?” Kono pressed. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve blinked. What was there to say? He wasn’t ready to voice whatever thoughts were running through his head, not before he’d made some sense of them himself. “I’ve gotta go, call me as soon as you have something.” He hung up quickly and jogged over to where Danny was waiting impatiently for him. He was holding out a pair of gloves which Steve quickly took and began to put on. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“What was that about?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve thought about telling Danny but something stopped him. “Nothing,” he replied easily, letting his face go blank. “Just an ongoing case back home they needed my help with.” He forced down the guilty feeling deep inside him and pushed past Danny into Mary’s house. Thankfully Danny didn’t say anything. If he had picked up on Steve’s lie, he certainly didn’t mention it as he followed him inside. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>As he walked around the small one-bed house, he could feel Danny’s eyes on him. “What?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You visited Mary here before?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve frowned at Danny’s question. “You asking me if I ever came to New Jersey and didn’t pop by for a cup of coffee and a catch-up?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“No!” Danny quickly denied. “....yeah,” he admitted a moment later. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve’s shook his head. “The answer’s no, by the way, I’ve not been here before.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>He turned away from Danny and continued his exploration of the house. His eyes took in all the bits of Mary’s personality strewed around the cosy quarters, from the hair ties she would always leave in the bathroom when she visited to the pile of books by the tv, each one with a bookmark where she’d clearly started and never finished any of them. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Among her belongings and Joanie’s toys were signs of the investigation. Smudges of powder where fingerprints had been lifted and numbered markers still sat next to possible evidence. Based on the short call with the man who had Mary, Steve didn’t think he would be stupid enough to leave evidence lying around. Whatever happened had been quick and precise. If Joanie had been threatened, there’s a good chance Mary would have gone without a fight. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Well?” Danny’s eyes followed him around the room. “Did they give you X-Ray vision at Coronado too?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve whipped around and gave Danny a withering glare. “Were you always this irritating or is this a new development?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Only when old friends turn up and question my detective skills,” Danny snapped back. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Is that what we are?” Steve raised an eyebrow. “Old friends?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny shrugged but didn’t give Steve an answer. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve sighed. “I’m gonna check outside,” he said, already halfway to the door thanks to his long legs. The kidnappers had to have got through the door somehow, there was no way Mary just opened the door to a complete stranger without a good reason. There was still a chance they left something behind when they took her. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hey.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Suddenly, Steve felt a hand grasp his bicep tightly, stopping him in his tracks. He looked down at the hand and up at Danny, only to find them now squeezed together in the narrow entrance. Even in the doorway with the cold air entering his lungs he could feel the heat from Danny’s body.  His breath caught in his throat as Danny’s eyes bored into his in a way that left Steve feeling completely exposed. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“If you had visited, would you have told me?” Danny asked softly.  <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve considered the question for a moment. It was hard to know what he would have done if a crossing of paths hadn’t been forced upon them.  <br/><br/></span>
  <span>He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know, Danny,” he answered, purposefully ignoring the hurt look in his ex-partner’s eyes. When he slipped past, Danny’s hand fell away and Steve rubbed the spot like he’d been burnt. He didn’t look back straight away but when he did, Danny was still standing where he’d left him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Tearing his eyes away, he glanced down at his watch and mentally calculated what time he would be expecting the call from Mary’s kidnapper. Hopefully, his team would have something soon. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Glancing around the modest front yard, he looked for anything out of place, a cigarette butt, a footprint in the dirt, anything that would give them more a clue as to who had Mary.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Something in the corner of his eye stopped him and he turned back to look at the metal trash can tucked beside the house. The lid was propped up at an angle like there was something inside that hadn’t been pushed down entirely. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“What is it?” Danny asked, spotting Steve’s inquisitive expression. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Not sure yet.” Steve frowned and crossed over to the can. Lifting off the lid, he peered inside at the contents. On top of the collection of rubbish was a pizza box, folded almost in half like someone had shoved it into the trashcan in a hurry. Steve pulled the box out and forced the lid open. Inside was the congealed and hardened remains of a pizza, squashed and malformed from being inside the creased box. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“This,” he looked up at Danny who was peering down at him from the porch steps. “This is what I was looking for.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“A pizza box?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“My sister went vegan last year, Danny.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny frowned. “Maybe she had a cheat day.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Not possible.” Steve shook his head firmly. “She went dairy-free after becoming lactose intolerant.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So what, the kidnappers turn up on her doorstep with a fake pizza delivery?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“She knows it’s not for her but opens the door to try and help the poor delivery guy find the right address,” Steve guessed. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Soon as she opens the door they pull a gun on her, threaten Joanie to keep her quiet and make sure she cooperates.” Danny finished. </span><br/><br/>
  <span>“We need to figure out where this pizza came from.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Danny's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once back at the station, Danny handed the pizza box, now encased in an evidence bag, over to a uniformed officer who would be able to run it over to the crime lab. Hopefully, there would be evidence still on the box that would clue them in to who was responsible. Once he was back at his desk he planned to look into the pizza company to see if they had any record of a delivery in the area, maybe they would get lucky. He didn’t want to worry Steve but as more and more time passed with no news, the likelihood of the situation ending well decreased.  <br/><br/>Steve had been quiet on the journey back to the police station, leaving Danny once again unsure where he stood with the SEAL. Maybe he too realised what Mary’s chances were or maybe they just weren’t on the same page anymore. His attempts at rekindling their friendship had been stilted and difficult, making him wonder if saving what they had was even possible.<br/><br/>Glancing back at Steve just a couple of steps behind him, it was clear that he was holding something back. He just wished Steve would talk to him like they used to do. Back then, they never had a problem with being honest with each other. Danny had never taken it for granted how much Steve had confided in him, he couldn’t understand what was getting in the way of that now. <br/><br/>Just as they had re-entered the bullpen, Steve’s phone began to ring. Danny turned back once again towards Steve who was frowning at the cell in his hand. Danny couldn’t see who was calling but he had a pretty good idea.  <br/><br/>“That the team again? Don’t they realise you’re a little preoccupied right now?”<br/><br/>“It’s important,” Steve insisted. “I’ll be right back.” <br/><br/>Danny watched as Steve did a sharp one-eighty and disappeared into the nearby breakroom. From across the room, Danny couldn’t help but watch Steve. The break room, only large enough for a fridge, coffee pot and dining table was visible through the window dividing it from the bullpen. As soon as the door was shut, Steve answered the phone. There was a shiftiness in Steve’s body language that Danny didn’t like. The way he turned his back to the door and the stiffness in his posture was ringing alarm bells. The longer Danny thought about it, the more suspicious he got. Why would he need privacy if he was just talking to the team about a case? What was he talking about that he didn’t want Danny to hear? The same gut he relied on for many of his investigations was telling him that something wasn’t right. <br/><br/>With Steve’s back still turned, Danny made his way across the bullpen and slipped quietly into the breakroom. Steve, normally so aware of his surroundings was distracted by whoever was on the other end of the line. <br/><br/>“You said I had two hours before you called again,” Steve was saying. “It’s barely been an hour.”<br/><br/>Danny frowned as he listed in on Steve’s conversation. <br/><br/>“I’m working on it, it’s not an easy ask…who is he to you anyway?... Fine, don’t tell me… Let me speak to her...You want Moretti? You’re gonna have to let me talk to my sister...hello? Hello?” Steve pulled the phone from his ear and swore. </p><p>Danny couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His heart thudded painfully in his chest at the realisation that Steve was in contact with the kidnappers and had neglected to tell him.<br/><br/>“What the <em> hell </em> is the matter with you?”<br/><br/>Steve spun around to face him, his eyes wide and his mouth open in surprise. It had been a long time since Danny had caught Steve off guard. “Danny, I-”<br/><br/>“Seriously Steve, I can’t <em> even-”<br/><br/></em> Danny’s mind raced and a myriad of emotions flowed through him. Anger, confusion, sadness. How had they drifted so far apart from each other that Steve would hide this from him?<br/><br/>Working on autopilot, he backed out of the room and headed in the direction of the exit, walking so quickly a young officer was forced to jump out of the way to avoid being knocked over. Bursting through the doors, he sucked in lungfuls of air as he put some distance between himself and the police station. <br/><br/>With the sun low in the sky, the temperature outside had begun to drop rapidly and Danny cursed as he realised his jacket was inside. <br/><br/>Before the shivering could get too bad, he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. Slowly, he turned around. Steve didn’t say anything at first, just offered the coat in his hand. Danny took the coat and put it on, pulling it tightly around his body to warm up. <br/><br/>The pair stood side by side on the sidewalk for a long time before Danny spoke. “When did they call you?” he asked quietly. <br/><br/>Steve hesitated for a moment and Danny briefly wondered if the other man still planned on keeping important information from him. “Back at Mary’s,” he finally answered.<br/><br/>Danny let out an incredulous bark of laughter. He remembered the call Steve had taken just before they’d gone into the house. Steve had lied to his face and then pretended like nothing was wrong.<br/><br/>“I mean, I knew you were pissed at me for leaving, but I never thought you would actually hide something like this from me, that you would lie to my face.”<br/><br/>“We haven’t been in the same time zone let alone the same room in five years, Danny, I’m supposed to just tell you everything like nothing’s changed?”<br/><br/>“Yes!” Danny yelled loud enough to garner attention from passersby. He waited for them to pass out of earshot before continuing, “ <em> Yes </em> ...because I’m still the same goddamn person you met in your dad’s garage, I’m still the person who was by your side for every crazy stunt you pulled and stood by you when you were framed for murder, you remember that don’t you?”<br/><br/>Steve’s eyes flashed angrily, “I remember you left.”<br/><br/>“I had no choice, you <em> know </em> I had no choice.”<br/><br/>“Every time you talked about <em> this place </em> I just knew deep down you would leave, I just didn’t realise you would go so soon...God Danny, it was like you couldn’t leave quick enough.”<br/><br/>“You think it was easy?” Danny asked sharply, “Leaving you? Leaving 5-0? For the first time since landing on that rock, I’d felt at home, felt part of something. You made me feel part of something again,” he admitted. “You didn’t even come say goodbye at the airport.” <br/><br/>Steve looked away guiltily. <br/><br/>Danny still remembered the day he left vividly. Standing at the gate for as long as the attendants would allow, just in case Steve had got caught in traffic or delayed somehow. It had hurt, a lot more than he’d ever revealed. <br/><br/>“It’s <em> me, </em> Steve...I’m not just anyone. After everything we went through, after everything that’s happened since…” He trailed off. “If you can’t see that, if you can’t trust me, I can’t do my job, you get that?”<br/><br/>Steve’s head snapped back to look at him. <br/><br/>“You used to tell me everything” It saddened Danny to think about how good they had it. What they had both lost when he left.  “ <em> God </em> , I miss that.”<br/><br/><em> “Danny. </em> ” <br/><br/>Something in Steve's voice made him look up and their eyes met. In his eyes, Danny could see all the other man wasn’t able to say out loud. Steve didn't need to speak for Danny to understand what was going on inside his mind. He recognised the fear in Steve's eyes as he realised his choices could cause his niece to be without a mother and him without a sister and he saw the regret in his eyes that Danny understood better than anyone. They both had too much of that and it had been getting in the way of any kind of forgiveness. </p><p>He suddenly remembered who he was dealing with. The same man who had gone through too much hurt for one person to deal with, the same man who kept everyone at arm’s length and struggled to trust anyone with anything he cared about, including his sister. His breath hitched as Steve's loneliness hit him like a wave. Without Danny there to take on some of the responsibility he carried on his shoulders like a punishment, Steve had forgotten what it meant to lean on someone, to share and trust someone implicitly.</p><p>For a moment he wondered what Steve would have been like if he had stayed in Hawaii. Maybe his influence would have been able to pry open Steve’s clam-shell heart, maybe they would have even taken the leap and gotten together. There wasn’t much time to dwell on the what-ifs though, not when Mary was still missing and Steve was staring back at him with those large brown eyes. <br/><br/>“Ask me,” he croaked. <br/><br/>“What?” Steve frowned. <br/><br/>“ <em> Ask m </em> e <em> ,” </em> Danny repeated. <br/><br/>After a long moment, Steve’s confusion turned into understanding. “Help me...please?”<br/><br/>Danny took a step closer to Steve, “You only had to ask.”<br/><br/>Steve looked back at him in surprise. <br/><br/>“Oh, don’t get me wrong, we’re gonna finish this conversation at a later more convenient date,” he told Steve. “We went five years without talking, I’m sure we can hold off another few days.”</p><p>With a tug on his elbow, Danny led Steve back towards the police station. <br/><br/></p><hr/><p><br/>“So, the call, tell me about it,” Danny requested calmly as soon as they were back inside the warmth of the precinct. They had taken over the small conference room for a bit of privacy and Danny had spread the contents of the case file over the top of the long table. It wasn’t exactly the high-tech set up back at the Five-O headquarters but it would do. <br/><br/>“I don’t know who he is, but he wants Jacob Moretti on a plane out of Oahu in the next three hours.”<br/><br/>“And Moretti is?”<br/><br/>“A drug trafficker we caught about eighteen months ago, he’s scheduled to go on trial next week.”<br/><br/>“Well, that explains the timing of all this,” Danny realised. “Does he have ties to the area?”<br/><br/>“I had the team looking into it.”<br/><br/>Danny swallowed down the knowledge that Steve had confided in the team and not him. “And?”<br/><br/>“Let’s find out.” Steve dug his phone out of his front pocket, dialled a number and put the phone down on the table between them. <br/><br/>“Boss?” Chin answered, his voice filling the room through the phone’s speaker. <br/><br/>“Hey, Chin, you’re on with me and Danny.”<br/><br/>“Danny! Howzit?” Chin greeted and Danny could easily picture the handsome lieutenant back at the office, leaning casually against the computer table and he regretted not trying harder to stay in touch with not just Steve but the entire team. <br/><br/>Danny opened his mouth to reply but closed it again when Steve held his hand up to stop him, “There will be plenty of time to catch up after we find Mary,” Steve assured them both. “What do you have on Moretti?”<br/><br/>“Okay, so,” Chin began, “he was only in Hawaii for about a year before we caught him. Before then he spent some time in Miami and before that a five-year stint at Augusta Correctional Center in Virginia.”<br/><br/>“Drugs?” Steve assumed. <br/><br/>“Aggravated assault.”<br/><br/>“Scumbag,” Danny muttered. <br/><br/>“Any time spent in New Jersey?” Steve asked. <br/><br/>“Not that we can find, but I’ve been digging into his time at Augusta, he had the same cellmate for most of his time there and he <em>definitely</em> has some New Jersey connections.”<br/><br/>“Who?”<br/><br/>“Stefano DeCavalcante.”<br/><br/>A shiver shot down Danny’s spine and he froze in his seat. Steve noticed his reaction to the name and raised an eyebrow at him, “Who’s that?”<br/><br/>“Oh, just the head of one of the biggest crime families in the area.”<br/><br/>“So what? This is all happening because Moretti and DeCavalcante met in prison and became friends?” Steve sounded unconvinced. <br/><br/>“I’m with Steve on this one,” Danny added. “It’s a lot to go through for an old prison pal.”<br/><br/>“That’s what I thought too until I dug into their records, looks like a few months into Moretti’s stint, DeCavalcante had a heart attack, Moretti performed first aid until help arrived, the pair were inseparable after that,” Chin explained. <br/><br/>“This mob boss, he finds out about Moretti’s troubles in Hawaii and because he owes him one for saving his life, comes up with this plan to free him,” Steve concluded. <br/><br/>“We need to be careful, he’s clearly done his research on you,” Danny added. “How else would he know exactly who to target to get you to cooperate?”<br/><br/>Steve glanced over at Danny with a look in his eyes that Danny didn’t like.<br/><br/>“What?”<br/><br/>“DeCavalcante, he might know a thing or two about me, but he won’t have connected you with me, it’s been too long for that.”<br/><br/>“How does this help us?”<br/><br/>“Not sure yet.”<br/><br/>Danny rolled his eyes. As the door to the conference room swung open suddenly, Danny’s attention shifted to the figure who burst into the room. The young officer, the same he had handed the pizza box over to, was out of breath and huffed loudly as he stepped over to the table. <br/><br/>“Jenkins?” Danny greeted the officer. “Any particular reason why you’re in here?”<br/><br/>“Detective,” Jenkins got out before needing to suck in another few lungfuls of oxygen. <br/><br/>“In your own time Jenkins, it’s not like there’s a ticking clock and a woman’s life on the line.”<br/><br/>Jenkin’s eyes widened, “Sorry...sir.” <br/><br/>“You have something for us?”<br/><br/>The young officer nodded, “Just back from the lab...ran all the way back.”<br/><br/>“And?”<br/><br/>“They’re still working on the pizza box...no fingerprints though.”<br/><br/>Danny frowned and suppressed the urge to voice his frustration, “They get anything useful?”<br/><br/>“The box was from Frank’s Pizzeria on Bloomfield Avenue, the leftover pizza was topped with olive, buffalo chicken and broccoli.”<br/><br/>He grimaced. There was nothing worse than someone who couldn’t respect the sanctity of pizza. “Heathens.”<br/><br/>Steve shook his head at Danny before turning back to Jenkins, “Keep going,” he requested. <br/><br/>“Anyway, I called them up, turns out they’ve had three orders for that exact pizza to be delivered to a warehouse down the road from them. They said the warehouse had been empty for months up until just a few days ago”<br/><br/>Danny and Steve’s eyes met across the table. Without having to say anything they both knew what that meant. After a moment, something in Steve’s expression changed and Danny recognised the look immediately. It was the look that always proceeded some kind of ridiculously dangerous plan. <br/><br/>“What?”<br/><br/>“You’re not going to like it.”  <br/><br/>Danny sighed as he realised he had no choice but to get on board. “Yeah, well what else is new?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Steve's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Let me just say, for the record, how terrible this plan is,” Danny said, his voice coming clearly through Steve’s earbud. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You said that already.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“It bears repeating you know, until it actually penetrates your thick skull."<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve couldn’t help but smirk, even though Danny couldn’t see it. “Do you have a better one?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny didn’t respond immediately and Steve could clearly picture the unhappy look on his face “No,” he eventually grumbled. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Then shut up,” Steve replied sharply.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“It’s like you two have never been apart,” Chin’s voice added, followed by the sound of Kono laughing. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Can we focus, please? Stefano’s going to be here any moment.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Steve held the phone so tightly against his ear he thought it might break as he listened to it ring.<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Commander, this is a surprise” Stefano DeCavalcante drawled after accepting the call. “If you’re about to ask for more time, I can assure you it won’t be granted.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>"Moretti is being transferred to a local airstrip as we speak, there’s a private plane fueled up and waiting for him, the pilot will take him wherever he wants to go.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Hmmm, what’s the catch?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Moretti doesn’t get the all-clear to take off until you and I have met, face to face.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re not in a position to make demands of me, remember?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“You and I talk, alone, I show you proof that Moretti is free and clear, you let my sister go.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>"And how can I trust you will be alone?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“My whole team’s still in Hawaii, it’s just me."<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Steve held his breath for what felt like minutes as Stefano considered the request. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Finally, he answered. “Fine, I’ll grant you a meeting. After hearing so much about you, I’m interested to find out how much of it is true.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Just name the time and place.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Pier thirteen in one hour...and Commander? Any sign that you’re trying to con me and one of my people will put a bullet in your sister’s pretty little head.” <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>The line went dead. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Steve scanned the area for any sign of DeCavalcante. “You ready Danny?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Am I ready?” Danny parrotted, sounding a little bit outraged at the question. “Of course I’m ready, who do you take me for?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I’m just asking.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I’m ready,” Danny repeated firmly. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Danny...It’s my sister,” Steve said quietly. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah buddy, I know.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>It was dark on the pier with just a single lamp and the city’s light pollution illuminating it. Below him he could hear the river lapping gently against the posts holding the pier up. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>He tugged his coat tighter around his body. The wind on the pier was bitingly cold and though he’d experienced similar cold weather at </span>
  <span>Annapolis, his years spent in deserts and tropical climates since hadn’t prepared him for a New Jersey winter. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>The sound of a car nearing the pier put Steve on high alert and he froze as he listened to the sound of a car door opening and then slamming shut. After a moment the car moved off and disappeared followed by the sound of footsteps coming towards him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“He’s here, it’s all on you now Danny.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You think the governor’s going to go for it?” Chin asked, his concern visible down the video call that had been set up. Steve had started to feel calmer as soon as he saw Chin, Kono and Lou stood in a row with the familiar backdrop of Iolani Palace. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“He has to, this plan doesn’t work otherwise,” Steve replied.<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“And then what?” Danny was perched on the end of the conference table, his sleeves rolled up and his tie loose. It had been a long day.<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“And then I keep Stefano busy long enough for you to do your thing.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>"I don’t like it.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Danny-<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re going to go meet a dangerous mob boss alone,” Dammy reminded him. “What if he just decides Moretti’s not worth all this hassle and shoots you?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Steve shrugs, “Then I get shot.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Stefano appeared from the darkness slowly, a long shadow cast behind him as he walked slowly up to Steve. Once he was a few feet away, he finally acknowledged the SEAL with a dip of his head. Casually, he produced a gun that had been in a coat pocket and pointed it at Steve without even blinking. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Take off the coat,” he ordered, dispensing with pleasantries immediately. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“It’s a little bit cold out here to be doing that.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Staring emotionlessly back at Steve, Stefano cocked the gun, “I need to know you’re not armed.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve grimaced but did what he was told and slid the coat off, throwing it over to where Stefano was standing. The ice-cold air bit into his skin and he began shivering almost immediately. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Turn around.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Whilst his whole body trembled uncontrollably, Steve raised his hands in the air and slowly turned around until Stefano seemed happy that Steve didn’t have a weapon on him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I’m not carrying.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Whilst that is clear to see, I also need to make sure you’re not wearing a wire,” Stefano said calmly. “Time for you to go for a dip,” he added, flicking the gun in the direction of the water. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve looked down at the black water eight feet below him. The water had to be bitterly cold and he knew he wouldn’t last long in there. He also knew the earbud would die as soon as his head was under. “You’re kidding right?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I can assure you Commander that I don’t kid…jump or my men kill your sister.” With his free hand, he dug into his coat pocket and retrieved his phone. He made a show of dialling a number and Steve grimaced. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Okay!”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Stefano stopped and put the phone down. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“<em>Okay</em>,” Steve repeated. The bulletproof vest Danny had insisted he wear was removed in a couple of quick pulls of the velcro straps. He knew the vest would just weigh him down underwater and the last thing he needed was to be in there any longer than he absolutely had to. With little choice, Steve climbed over the railing. The black water below was hiding the depth and all Steve could do was hope he didn’t injure himself. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“No stalling,” Stefano ordered sharply, “Jump. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steeling himself with a deep breath, Steve jumped. The shock of the cold hit him like a truck as his whole body was submerged under the water. His body flooded with adrenaline and his heart thudded in his chest as it worked harder to push blood around. His chest tightened like there was a vice around it and it forced the oxygen from his lungs. Every muscle in his body ached as he kicked his legs and swum his way back to fresh air. As soon as he broke the surface, he gasped. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>With his body tiring easily, it was hard to get back over to the pier. His uncooperative fingers struggled to gain purchase on the wooden struts but eventually he was able to climb back up and with gritted teeth he pulled himself back over the edge. He laid on his back and heaved in deep breaths. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Happy?” He croaked. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“As I’ll ever be,” Stefano responded. “Now,” Stefano kept the gun aimed at him. “Let’s talk.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“He’s here, it’s all on you now Danny.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Hearing Steve give the go-ahead, Danny reached over for the pizza box which had been sitting on the seat warmer until it was needed. He climbed out of the car, nodded to the S.W.A.T captain and his team who were waiting out of sight and walked up to the red-bricked warehouse. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>With a closed fist, he rapped on the door three times and waited for an answer. Through the door, he heard footsteps getting louder and then the door swung open with a loud creak. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah?” The figure looked him up and down warily. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I got’an olive, buffalo chicken and broccoli pie from Franks.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>The man raised an eyebrow at Danny and shouted back into the dark warehouse “Hey dumbass, you order another pizza?” With his attention elsewhere, Danny peered over his shoulder to get a good look inside the space. He couldn’t see Mary but he didn’t expect to. If they were smart, they would have stashed her in a smaller room somewhere away from the door.  The man turned back and Danny quickly returned his gaze to the man at the door to avoid suspicion. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>The man’s eyes narrowed, “Aren’t you a little bit old to be a pizza boy?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Guy’s gotta make a living,” Danny replied with the right amount of defensiveness, “I have two kids I’ve got to put through college, so sue for me for having a second job.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Woah,” The man stuck his hands up in surrender, “Relax man, just asking.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Seconds later, another man appeared at the door and squeezed into view beside his friend. He looked at the delivery bag and then up at Danny. “I didn’t order that.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You sure?” Danny pulled out a receipt from his back pocket and examined it, “Got this address listed.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“How many other people do think are ordering that weird-ass pizza topping combination huh?” The first man grunted. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Anyone else here that could’ve ordered?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>The two men glanced at each other for a split second before they shook their heads. “Just us.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Well then it has to be one of you,” he held out his hand, “That’ll be fourteen bucks, I don’t carry change.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>The second man quickly got out his wallet and pulled out a ten and a five. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I thought you didn’t order it,” The first man frowned. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I didn’t, but I’m not gonna turn away pizza, man.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny took the money that was handed to him and stuffed it into a pocket. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Well? My pizza?” He was prompted. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Oh right, enjoy.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny retrieved the box from inside the bag and handed it over. The man grabbed at the box like he thought it would be taken away from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Enjoy,” he took a step back, ready to walk away when he stopped and turned back to face the pair. “Just one more thing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From deeper inside the bag, Danny pulled out his gun and pointed at the two men. “Freeze, New Jersey PD!” They froze on the spot, shocked by the turn of events and a split second later twenty officers in tactical gear with even bigger guns flooded the street. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“So let me get this right,” Danny began, unable to comprehend Steve’s idea. “You’re going to meet Stefano, alone, to keep him busy and out of the way whilst I-<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Pose as a pizza delivery driver,” Steve finished the sentence for him. “The pizza should give you an in.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“And then what do I do?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“You find out how many of them are in the building and when the time is right, call in S.W.A.T.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, is that all?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Danny,” Steve sighed. “We don’t have a lot of time, you gonna get on board with my plan sometime before our deadline?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Danny shrugged, “I’m a multitasker, I can be on board with the plan and think it’s ridiculous at the same time.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Steve shook his head. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>"What about Moretti?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“With the Governor's help, we’ll take him to an airstrip where there’s a jet waiting, make him think he’s getting away. When Stefano demands proof that Moretti is free, we just call him up and Moretti does the rest.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“And then we swoop in and take him back into custody straight after,” Chin added. "You think the governor’s going to go for it?” He asked. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the two men were subdued, Danny charged into the large warehouse, gun drawn just in case they were lying about company. The noise of the arrests happening behind him dropped away as he went from room to room. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Mary!” He shouted, his voice echoing against the bare brick. “Mary!”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>He shouted until his voice was hoarse and not a second he feared they were wrong and Mary was being held somewhere else, but then he heard a muffled sound and ran towards it. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Skidding on the dust underfoot, Danny reached the end of a long hallway and quickly found the one door in the whole place which was locked. He banged on the door and called out once more, relieved to hear a response, once again muffled. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hold on!” Danny shouted. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Even though he knew his knee would punish him for it later, he lifted his right foot and with as much force as possible kicked the door. The door swung open and slammed against the wall behind it. Peering into the dark room, Danny’s eyes fell on Mary. She was tied to a chair by her feet, waist and hands and there was a piece of dirty cloth over her mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh jeez.” <br/><br/>Without wasting a second, Danny entered the room and took his pocket knife to the ropes. As soon as her hands were free, she pulled the gag away from her mouth. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Danny?” She spoke, her voice hoarse and weak. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Long time no see Mary,” Danny replied as he moved onto the ties around her ankles. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Where’s Steve?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Doing something idiotic to save your life,” he huffed. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny felt a hand grab hold of his shoulder and he stopped to look up at Mary. Her eyes were red and she looked exhausted. “Tell me, please.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>He knew what she was asking and he gave her a reassuring smile. “She’s fine, she’s being looked after at the hospital, those bastards didn’t touch her, I promise.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Mary sagged back against the chair and sobbed in relief. “I thought...they wouldn’t tell me.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny could only imagine what it would be like to be taken from your home and forced to leave your child alone like that, not knowing if they were safe. The scenario was his worst nightmare. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“As soon as we’re done here, I’ll take you to her okay?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Thank you, Danny.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>He grinned back at her, “Anytime.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Once she was free, he helped her to her feet. She was unsteady at first, after spending over twenty-four hours stuck in the same position and she hissed as tight muscles stretched out.<br/><br/>“Come on, let’s get you outside and checked out.” <br/><br/>With an arm her waist, he walked her through the building and out into the street. A couple of paramedics descended on the pair and a large warm blanket was wrapped around her shoulders. As they began to examine her, Danny tapped his earpiece. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Steve? I got her, she’s safe.” Steve didn’t reply. “Steve?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Danny?” Chin replied. “What’s going on.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Mary’s safe, you can take Moretti back to prison,” he explained. “Have you heard from Steve?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“His earpiece went silent about five minutes ago.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Dammit,” He wanted to believe everything was okay but if there was one thing he knew about Steve it was his penchant for landing himself in trouble. “Okay, I’m going to find Steve.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I’m coming with,” Mary piped up from behind him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Mary, no.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I’m coming, end of story.” </span><br/><br/>
  <span>If there was one thing he knew about Mary, was that once her mind was made up, there was no talking her out of it. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Steve's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Steve’s knees dug sharply into the hard wooden decking as he knelt in front of Stefano. His wet clothes stuck to his body and every gust of wind felt like sharp glass slicing into his skin. His hands, balled tightly into fists and tucked into his armpits, were numb and he knew without looking his lips were turning blue. On top of everything else, every muscle ached from the combination of uncontrollable shivering and his body tensing against the cold weather. At least it was a good thing he was still shivering, he knew from his cold water conditioning back at BUD/S that it was when you stopped shivering that you needed to worry. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Stefano still had the gun aimed at him and Steve had learnt enough about the man to know he wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger. There was a good chance Steve wouldn’t be walking away from their encounter. He had known it was risky meeting with Stefano but it was the only way Steve could keep him busy for long enough and was a risk he'd been willing to take. There was something funny, he supposed, about reconnecting with Danny only to die hours later. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>He blinked slowly, feeling his brain begin to shut down. “My coat?” He requested, looking at the dark pile of material beside Stefano’s shiny leather shoes. It wouldn’t be enough but it would help.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You get your coat when I get my proof Commander. I think you promised me that.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Dial </span>
  <span>808-555-7240,” Steve managed to get out as his teeth chattered painfully. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Stefano looked at him suspiciously for a moment but he unlocked his cell phone and dialled the number. He pressed the phone against his ear and Steve could only watch and hope that everything back in Hawaii had gone off without a hitch. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Stefano’s face changed as someone on the other end of the line picked up.<br/><br/></span>
  <span> “Jacob?” Stefano grinned. “Good to hear your voice brother…we’ll see each other soon...Of course I had to, I owe you a lot remember?... Safe flight.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Happy?” Steve grunted after Stefano hung up the phone and returned it to his pocket. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Happier yes, but not satisfied.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve huffed out in frustration, “You…you got what you wanted.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Once his plane is up in the air and the transponder has been deactivated, then I’ll be happy.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve looked up at Stefano wearily. It was amazing how quickly your energy was expended whilst your body tried to keep the cold from reaching his vital organs. He fought hard to keep awake. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Well?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I…” Unable to keep himself up any longer, gravity pulled him sideways and then down onto the deck below. He was barely quick enough to put a hand out to break his fall and his head connected with the wood. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Useless.” <br/><br/>He watched through blurred vision as Stefano walked up and stopped beside him. “You know I had heard about you...the great Steve McGarrett. They said you were unstoppable, how wrong they were.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>As Stefano stood over him, he knew the gun was still in his hand. Mary’s kidnapper wanted him to know that these were his last moments on earth. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>His eyes slid shut. He thought about Mary and Joanie who somehow he knew would be safe and reunited soon. His thoughts flicked to Danny and all the time they had wasted. He had so many regrets, too many to die with. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve heard a click and his slowing heart jolted.<br/><br/></span>
  <span> “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Stefano jumped in surprise and spun around. Steve’s eyes cracked open to the comforting sight of Danny holding his gun just inches away from Stefano. Behind Danny was a squad of uniformed officers, all armed and aiming at the mob boss. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Drop it and put your hands up,” Danny snarled. The man reluctantly released the gun and it clattered to the floor. Slowly, he lifted his arms into the air and with a nod from Danny, two of the officers stepped forward and restrained DeCavalcante. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Steve?” Danny called, finally able to pay attention to his friend who looked in bad shape. “I need a blanket and paramedics here now!” He demanded to anyone in earshot. “Steve?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve mumbled his reply. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hmm?” Danny huddled in closer to Steve, grabbing the nearby coat and wrapping it around his shoulders. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Book...em..D’nno,” Steve croaked out. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny laughed. “About time you called me that.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Steve!” Mary, who Danny had insisted stay back until they had Stefano in handcuffs, ran down the pier and dropped to the floor beside her brother. “Oh, Steve.” She draped herself over him and between her on one side and Danny pressed against his other side, it was almost perfect. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <br/>
  <span>Steve heard a knock at the door and he knew it meant something that he recognised who was on the other side of the door by the knock. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You can come in Danny.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>The door swung open and Danny stepped into the room a surprised look on his face, “How’d you know it was me?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You have a very distinctive knock,” Steve answered wryly. He had been in the middle of buttoning up his shirt when Danny had entered and he stopped and sat on the edge of the bed. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Leaning against the door, Danny gave him a once over, “You feeling okay?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Feeling warm again if that’s what you’re asking.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve didn’t remember much after Danny arrived to arrest Stefano DeCavalcante. He had been too out of it by the time the paramedics arrived and according to one of his doctors, it had been touch and go thanks to his sudden drop in temperature and the amount of time it took to get him to the hospital. He could now add hypothermia to his list of traumas suffered. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Thanks to some warm saline pumped through his body, a heated blanket and being changed into some dry clothed had done the trick and he had started to come to after eight hours unconscious. What he did remember was Danny being by his bed the first time he woke up, propped up in an uncomfortable plastic chair, his head at an odd angle as he slept. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve had fallen back to sleep again a few minutes later and when he woke the second time Danny had gone. In his place was Mary with a giggling Joanie in her arms. <br/><br/></span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“What are you apologising for?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“DeCavalcante targeted you because of me...I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you or Joanie,” Steve stared at his niece with soft eyes. He knew the guilt he felt for what happened would sit heavy around his heart for a while to come. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“You couldn’t have known Steve, there was no way for you to have known what he was planning,” Mary insisted. “As much as you’d like to think you are, you’re not all-knowing.” <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“I know,” Steve replied playfully. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Mary rolled her eyes, “Your uncle is a dork Joanie,” She whispered to the toddler on her lap. Joanie blinked and tried to wriggle free. Mary held her firmly and distracted her with a toy. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey,” Mary looked back over at Steve, “Come back to Oahu...for good this time.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Mary frowned, “I thought it wasn’t safe for me there?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Turns out nowhere is safe,” he shrugged “...I thought sending you away would keep you out of danger but now I think I’ll sleep better at night knowing I’ll only be down the street when you need me.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“You going to go all overprotective older brother on me if I agree?”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Probably,” Steve answered honestly. <br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Mary stared back at Steve for a long time and he could see her weighing up her options. Finally she nodded. “Okay, but when you said up the street I hope you meant on the other side of town. We’re close but we’re not that close.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Steve chuckled, “Sure Mare, whatever you say.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“And I will be calling on you a lot for babysitting duties.”<br/><br/></span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Steve’s smile widened, “Looking forward to it.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What you did...that was pretty crazy y’know.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“What, you mean jumping into the Hudson River in the middle of winter?” Steve checked.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Well that comes a close second after meeting Stefano alone. Without back up he could have killed you.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> were my back up.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny’s eyes snapped to his at Steve’s words, the meaning behind them clear to both. Steve looked back at Danny with a warm look. He was surprised when Danny blushed and looked away. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You, uh, you headed home?” Danny asked, rocking up onto the balls of his feet. He tried to make the question sound nonchalant but Steve knew better. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah, I got a flight booked in a few hours.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny nodded, “You weren’t planning on disappearing off without saying goodbye were you?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve shook his head. “No, of course not.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Good.” Danny smiled back at him, his eyes revealing a mixture of relief and hope. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Returning to his task, Steve finished buttoning up his shirt and turned away from Danny to collect his jacket from where he'd thrown it over the back of the nearby chair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey Steve?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve spun back around, looking back at Danny expectantly. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I, uh, I’d forgotten.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve raised an eyebrow, “Forgotten what?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“How well we work together,” Danny admitted. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve nodded back in agreement, “Yeah...me too.” he answered honestly.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>They smiled at each other, big wide grins that reached their eyes and suddenly it felt like something between them had clicked back into place. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Danny,” Steve crossed the room in three long strides, stopping sharply when he and Danny were standing less than a foot apart, “We went nearly five years without speaking, I don’t want that to happen to us again.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Me either,” Danny agreed easily, “But how? Couldn’t manage it last time, how do you expect us to make it work this time?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve sighed. “I don’t know.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>He wished he could ask Danny to move back home, just like he had with Mary. Somehow Danny knew what he was thinking. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Your work is </span>
  <em>
    <span>there</span>
  </em>
  <span>, my family is </span>
  <em>
    <span>here</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he reminded Steve softly.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah, I know,” Steve croaked back. “We’ll try harder, we’ll do what it takes. I’ll ring you every goddamn day if I have to.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny huffed out a laugh at the suggestion, “Every other day…I’ll take the days between.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>The pair said nothing for a long time and just stared at each other as the tension between them built up. Steve found himself moving closer as a moment of decisiveness overtook him. Danny reacted quickly and tilted his head up just as Steve ducked down and their lips met. The kiss was nothing more than a soft press of lips before Steve pulled back. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny blinked, “What was that for?” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I regretted not doing that before you left,” he admitted. “Didn’t want to regret not doing it a second time.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny nodded his head slowly. “Okay then.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Okay?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah, okay,” Danny confirmed before lifting his arms up and linking his fingers together behind Steve’s neck. “Though, if you don’t want to regret it, you might want to do it properly.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>With a tug, he pulled Steve down again. <br/><br/>Their second kiss was harder, more demanding as Danny took control. With his hands gripping Danny’s hips tightly, Steve pushed Danny back against the door and pressed himself tightly into his personal space until there was no gap between them. The taste of Danny on his lips, the warmth of his body against him, it was almost too much and Steve’s pulse raced under his skin. One of Danny’s hands slid up into Steve’s hair whilst the other continued to loop around his neck like he didn’t want to let go. Steve understood the feeling.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>When oxygen became an issue, they reluctantly pulled apart but stayed close. Steve rested his forehead against Danny’s as he tried to catch his breath. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Was that goodbye?”</span><br/><br/>
  <span>“No,” Steve insisted, “That was see you soon,” he promised. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A few weeks later</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who left nice comments and of course to Intricatecakes for reading and supporting me as I wrote this!  I do have an idea for a timestamp which I may get around to writing, but if not, hope you enjoyed this!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Steve padded down the stairs slowly, one hand still rubbing a towel into his damp hair. The long day of moving Mary into her new place had worn him out and he had headed straight for the shower as soon as he got home. He hadn’t been expecting so many boxes and then there was the furniture that needed putting together and photos which needed to be hung. The whole thing would have gone a lot quicker if his friends hadn’t all been busy with other obligations. He swore Lou had invented the family spa day to get out of helping. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Throwing the towel onto the recliner, he strolled into the kitchen and headed straight for the fridge. Inside he knew there was a full six-pack of cold beers waiting for him. Lifting one of the bottles out, he deftly undid the cap and immediately took a couple of long gulps of the cool liquid. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Lifting the bottle to his lips a second time, he stopped mid-gulp at the sound of someone knocking on the door. Putting the beer down, he walked back into the living room and over to the door. His eyes widened as he pulled the door open and his eyes fell on Danny standing on his porch. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Danny?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Hey.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You’re here, in Oahu.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve frowned, “So when I called you earlier you were-”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“At the airport.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Right.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Still trying to process that Danny was in Hawaii, Steve stood frozen to the spot.  <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny quirked his head and smiled, “You gonna let me in or what?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Oh, yeah,” Steve blinked and finally stepped back out of the way. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>As Danny stepped over the threshold, he looked around, taking in the house he hadn’t been inside of for five years. “Nothing’s changed,” he remarked. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve shrugged but didn’t reply. He hadn’t ever cared too much about what his home looked like and apart from a fresh lick of paint, Steve had kept it pretty much the same as his dad. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Beer?” He offered and Danny nodded. “Be right back.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Returning to the kitchen he returned to the fridge and pulled out a second bottle. Before closing the door, he took a steadying breath, needing a moment to compose himself. It had been two months since he’d last seen Danny and their kiss was all he had thought about since. A part of him had wondered if he'd ever get the chance to kiss Danny again.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Feeling grounded once again, he made his way back to Danny, his open beer in one hand and Danny’s in the other. Danny nodded his thanks as he took the offered beer. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Wanna go outside?” Steve suggested. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Sure.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve led Danny through the doubles doors and out onto the lanai. They kept walking in silence until they reached the two wooden chairs propped up in the sand. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I missed this,” Danny admitted. “This view, these chairs.” He lowered himself into the one on the left and sighed happily. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Whilst Danny looked out on the pink and purple sunset ahead of them, Steve’s attention was on Danny. What was he doing here? <br/><br/></span>
  <span>As usual, Danny was able to read his mind. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“We didn’t finish our conversation,” he announced, tearing his eyes away from the sky to look at Steve. “Outside the station, I said we would be continuing the conversation at a later date.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve arched an eyebrow, “Why now? It’s been two months.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Had some things I needed to sort out first.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Sagging further into his chair, Steve sighed, “Okay, let’s talk.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Neither of them said anything for almost a minute before Danny caved. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I still don’t understand why you kept the ransom call from me y’know.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Danny I...I hadn’t seen you in so long, seeing you again brought up all these </span>
  <em>
    <span>things</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I just didn’t know if you were the same Danny who left… a person can change a lot in five years.” <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So it wasn’t some lingering anger at me for leaving?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You think I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>angry</span>
  </em>
  <span> you left?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“You could barely look me in the eyes after I told you,” Danny reminded him. “You just pulled away from me.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Because it hurt too much, Danny,” Steve admitted. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny froze, “What?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I couldn’t watch you leave, knowing I might not ever see you again,” he sighed. “I screwed up...I let you go without-” Steve didn’t finish the sentence but he knew Danny would understand why he was trying to say. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Steve-”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I’m sorry...for not trusting you...sorry for everything that happened.” He looked down at his hands in his lap, not wanting to see the look in Danny’s eyes. He knew he was hard to forgive. He heard Danny move and was surprised when he rose up from his seat and knelt down beside Steve’s.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I’m sorry too. I’m the one that gave up on us. I was just missing you too much and every time we spoke on the phone, hearing your voice just made it hurt more.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“So what you’re saying is, we’re both idiots?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny laughed, “Yeah, guess so.” With his eyes focused on Steve, Danny's face turned serious again. "Promise me, from now on, we don't keep anything from each other."<br/><br/>Swallowing hard, Steve nodded "I promise" He answered sincerely. </span>
</p>
<p>Pleased with Steve's answer, Danny smiled again. Lifting his hand, he <span>cupped the back of Steve’s head and pulled him close. As their lips met for the first time in two months, something settled inside Steve. It was so clear to him now why he'd felt different since returning from New Jersey. It was only when he tasted Danny on his lips that he realised he had left a part of himself there. Neither ready to take things further, the kiss stayed slow and easy. They revelled in each other's warmth with roaming hands and only pulled apart from Danny's knee began to ache. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>Using the arm of Steve’s chair, he lifted himself back up onto his feet. He looked back at his own seat but Steve threaded their fingers together and pulled him down onto the seat with him, spreading his legs to make a space for him. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Now what?” Steve asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer. He wasn’t sure he could keep watching Danny go. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“I talked to Rachel, told her what happened, told her about us.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“And?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“And she thought about it…for a long time. I mean for an </span>
  <em>
    <span>entire month </span>
  </em>
  <span>she kept me waiting.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>And</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Steve repeated eagerly. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny took a deep breath before he continued, “And she came to the realisation that I had followed her across time zones twice now, it was about time she did the same for me,” he revealed.<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Are you saying-<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Yeah,” Danny nodded. “Me, Gracie, Charlie, Rachel, we’re moving back.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Steve grinned madly. “Who woulda thunk? The man who hates beaches and pineapples and pretty much everything about Hawaii, </span>
  <em>
    <span>choosing</span>
  </em>
  <span> to live here.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny rolls his eyes, “Not everything,” he insisted. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“No?”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Not even close.”<br/><br/></span>
  <span>Danny shifted until his back was squashed against Steve’s chest and an arm automatically slid around his waist to secure him in place. He felt Steve’s face press into his neck followed by warm lips against the sensitive skin there and it sent pleasant shivers down his spine. They hadn't figured everything out, not by a long shot, but they had made a good start. And once Danny and his family were back on Oahu permanently, he knew the last five years without each other would become a distant memory. <br/><br/></span>
  <span>“Welcome home,” Steve muttered against him. </span><br/><br/>
  <span>With a smile on his face, Danny sighed, “Good to be home,” </span>
</p>
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